Button fastener



Oct. 16, 1951 o. J. HUELSTER BUTTON FASTENER Filed March 19, 1949 INVENTOR Otto J. Huelsfer TTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1951 BUTTON FASTENER Otto J. Huelster, Plymouth, Conn, assignor to Scovill -Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,385

3 Claims.

This invention relates to button fastener installations and particularly to a device for attaching a conventional perforated button to a snap fastener element through a supporting material such as a garment or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a clinching prong member that serves to attach a snap fastener element to one side of a garment support and which is also provided with an independent means for securing a conventional button to the opposite side of the garment support.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination button and fastener attaching member of a character wherein the button can be removed from the attaching member and a different one substituted without the necessity of disturbing the original attachment effected between the attaching member and the snap fastener element.

The full nature of this invention, along with other objects will be more apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the three elements that comprise the combination button attaching member and snap fastener element.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a conventional perforated button with the attaching member secured thereto.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the button and assembled attaching member, the section taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the attaching member as now attached through a garment support and to a snap fastener element.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view'of the attaching member, per se, in an inverted position to the view shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a development view of the blank in its flat state. 1

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral Ill designates a conventional form of button having the usual four equally spaced thread openings or holes II therethrough, which button may be attached to a garment by the use of my improved attaching member [2 in conjunction with a snap fastener element [3, the latter element being here shown as a socket.

The snap fastener element may be of the general type disclosed in the Fenton Patent No. 2,106,728, having an anvil part l4 merging into a surrounding hollow ring [5 that provides for a clinching annular chamber I6 for reasons as will appear later.

Extending in an opposite direction from said blank relative to the prongs I9 are a pair of elongated clinch lugs 20 that are bent outwardly from the blank l8 but within the confines of this blank periphery. It is to be noted that the clinch lugs 2|] are longitudinal strips with parallel edges and that when bent up from the blank l8 are arranged so that their fiat faces are parallel to each other, with the lugs, however, laterally offset relative to each other. The offset distance of the lugs 20 is such as to line up the lugs 20 with any two diametrically opposite thread openings II in the button [0.

In making an assembly of the button 20 and fastener element 13 to the support H, the clinch lugs 20 may first be inserted through any two diametrically opposite thread openings II in the button ill, and then by a suitable tool the lugs are bent over so that their rounded top ends 2| are directed into the directly opposite thread openings l I such that in the assembled state the tip ends 21 of the lugs will be concealed in a thread opening and that portion of the lugs that appears at the top face of the button I0 will more or less simulate the appearance of the usual several strands of thread for attaching a button.

In having lugs 20 so arranged as to extend through diametrically opposite holes II in the button Ill and bend so that their terminal ends 2| are disposed in the button openings ll directly opposite from the openings through which the respective lug enters, provides for a stronger assembly and assures a uniform holding effect upon the button from all radial positions.

With the button I!) thus assembled to the attaching member I2, the two parts I0 and I2 as a unit may next be assembled to the support I! and made secure by the fastener element (3. To this end the combined button I0 and member l2 are positioned on one side of the support l1 with the socket [3 on the opposite side in alignment and then the pointed prongs are forced through the support I1 and clinched over within the annular chamber l6 of the element [3 in the usual manner such as shown in Fig. 4.

It should also be understood that preference might be given to reversing the operation of assembly to that described above, i. e., by first assembling the attaching member l2 through the support I! and to the fastener element It and as the last step assembling the button to the lugs projecting from the face of the support in the usual manner.

With -my improved attaching member, it would be permissible to interchange the button upon any garment without necessarily disturbing the connection between the attaching member and the fastener element. This could easily be acomplished by merely inserting a sharp instrument under one edge of the clinch lugs 29 and bending their free ends outwardly of the thread openings l l of the button and straighten the lugs sufficiently to withdraw the button, after which a new button of different appearance, or one to replace a broken one, may be assembled in place and anchored by re-forming the lugs 29 back into clinched position.

Fig, '6 shows the attaching member as it appears in its original flat blanked state, wherein the main body part of the blank is in the form of the disc 18a having a plurality of pointed prongs 19a extending radially from the periphery Z-Eofsaid blank lac. Between two sets of prongs 18a are located a pair of clinch lugs 2% that extend from the blank lSa within the confines of the periphery 22 and parallel to each other. It is -.to be noted that each lug 20a is positioned relatively close to one of the prongs 49a and that edge of the lug adjacent the closest prong is extended into the body of the blank 8c by a slit 23 so that the lugs 29a can be bent outwardly from said blank on fold lines 24 that are parallel to each other.

While only'cne form of the invention is herewith shown and described, it is to be understood 13119413 the construction may be varied .as to mechanical details without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

.1 claim:

1. A .snap fastener installation comprising a support, a snap fastener element disposed on one .side of the support, an apertured button disposed on the opposite side of said support, and an attaching plate member having prongs extending .in one direction from the periphery of said member and a pair of lugs extending in an opposite direction from the periphery of said member, said member being disposed between said support and said button with said prongs pierced through said support and clinched to said fastener element to hold the latter against one side of said support, and each of said lugs extending through one of said button apertures and bent into another of the apertures to hold said button against the adjacent face of said plate member.

2. A snap fastener installation comprising a support, a snap fastener element, an apertured button and an attaching plate member, said attaching plat-e member having a plurality of pointed prongs extending from the periphery of and positioned at right angles to one side of said plate member, and a pair of clinching lugs of uniform width extending in an opposite direction from the periphery of said member, said attaching member being disposed between said support and said button with said prongs pierced through said support from one side thereof and having :means for a permanent anchorage with said fastener element on the opposite side of said support, said lugs being inserted through and clinched about opposite pairs of the button apertures for holding said button against the adjacent face of said plate member.

A snap fastener installation as defined by claim 2 wherein said lugs are so positioned and of such length as to be inserted through one .set cfdiametrically opposite apertures in said button and terminate in another set of diametrically opposite apertures.

OTTO J. HUELSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

